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2024 Outlook for Ravens RBs - The King Henry era is here! (1 Viewer)

DocHolliday said:
Going to be an interesting year with that Ravens backfield.  Buckle up if you own any of the RBs.  
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so far they seem cursed....two season enders in what was their top 3 rb's before game 1.  Last man standing will be a stud so get your shares if you can....

 
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Banger said:
so far they seem cursed....two season enders in what was their top 3 rb's before game 1.  Last man standing will be a stud so get your shares if you can....
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#1 and #4 went down as Williams had already passed Hill. But I'm with you, this hurts.

 
on the Saints/Jones good news I may cut bait on Williams for a LB I'd like to roster. I'm looking at a 3-headed pile of mediocrity in Baltimore. Gus should be the lead dog, but even a washed Bell could get in the way of Williams being a significant contributor this year. 

 
Hot Sauce Guy said:
on the Saints/Jones good news I may cut bait on Williams for a LB I'd like to roster. I'm looking at a 3-headed pile of mediocrity in Baltimore. Gus should be the lead dog, but even a washed Bell could get in the way of Williams being a significant contributor this year. 
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In Gus you don't Trust.

 
BassNBrew said:
In Gus you don't Trust.
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lol - If I had Gus I'd stay on the bus, and as Paul Simon once said, I wouldn't discuss much.

But Williams doesn't seem like he's likely to be enough of an asset to hold on to, and I could use the IDP depth. The dude I'm targeting has 120+ tackle potential, and I'm reasonably sure he'll be claimed after week 1. 

I'm still mulling it over. 

 
Hot Sauce Guy said:
on the Saints/Jones good news I may cut bait on Williams for a LB I'd like to roster. I'm looking at a 3-headed pile of mediocrity in Baltimore. Gus should be the lead dog, but even a washed Bell could get in the way of Williams being a significant contributor this year. 
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I disagree.   I think Bell is a break glass in case of emergency only type of player.  Hill was never going to touch the ball, so why should a washed Bell?

 
Hot Sauce Guy said:
on the Saints/Jones good news I may cut bait on Williams for a LB I'd like to roster. I'm looking at a 3-headed pile of mediocrity in Baltimore. Gus should be the lead dog, but even a washed Bell could get in the way of Williams being a significant contributor this year. 
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I wouldn’t give up on Williams yet until we see if Bell is even used and how the pie is spread among the RB group.

 
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Bell signed to Practice Squad. You won’t see him on MNF.  He may be an insurance policy or he may be cut. 

 
SKI said:
Bell signed to Practice Squad. You won’t see him on MNF.  He may be an insurance policy or he may be cut. 
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Yeah no way Bell plays week 1.  His contract won’t be guaranteed and so they can cut him without additional cost if he sucks.

However I think they do intend to play him, probably just to spell Edwards, but he’ll get a few snaps once he learns the offense.

 
dickey moe said:
If anything Jackson is gonna run more.
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As a guy who took Williams in the last pick I suspect you are right.  Only reason to NOT run Lamar more is his health.  And if Gus or Williams is busting out good yardage they will preserve Jackson.  If they are meh then Jackson takes all the goal line TDs.

But I won't lose sleep because usually my last 1-2 picks are flyers and I churn them based on what I see in week one games.  He and Penny were my last two and I doubt either is still on the roster in a week.  😜

 
Godsbrother said:
Yeah no way Bell plays week 1.  His contract won’t be guaranteed and so they can cut him without additional cost if he sucks.

However I think they do intend to play him, probably just to spell Edwards, but he’ll get a few snaps once he learns the offense.
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They will have to play him or cut him,because he would be a huge distraction on the bench.

 
tangfoot said:
He will likely be active due to the nature of this year's practice squad rules.
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But if he is on the active roster week 1 then his 2021 salary is guaranteed.   

That doesn't seem like a smart move on Baltimore's part unless they are convinced of Bell's abilities and ability to stay healthy the entire season.

 
Bell sits this week so they don't have to guarantee his contract. I think he will be very limited if he is used at all. As for Gus, he has looked good at his YPC average but he has never been able to take over this backfield. I think Williams is the sneaky play here as I could see him taking more and more run from Gus. It could be that they both kill each other's value in the end. 

 
Scooby1974 said:
Bell sits this week so they don't have to guarantee his contract. I think he will be very limited if he is used at all. As for Gus, he has looked good at his YPC average but he has never been able to take over this backfield. I think Williams is the sneaky play here as I could see him taking more and more run from Gus. It could be that they both kill each other's value in the end. 
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Well, he was a UDFA that led the Ravens in rushing his rookie year.  You can say it was because Alex Collins busted and Lamar only began starting games late in the year…but you’d have to agree he exceeded expectations.

The next year, they brought Ingram in on a 3/15 contract.  Ingram performed and with an offense built around Jackson’s running, Edwards was still able to carve out 133/711.

Then the following year, they draft Dobbins and he still puts up 137/718.

Fact of the matter is, the Edwards has dealt with a lot more than a 6th round rookie to stay productive.  This hasn’t been a situation where Gus hasn’t been able to ‘seize’ an obvious opportunity but rather Edwards is a pretty resilient mofo…

 
TheDirtyWord said:
Well, he was a UDFA that led the Ravens in rushing his rookie year.  You can say it was because Alex Collins busted and Lamar only began starting games late in the year…but you’d have to agree he exceeded expectations.

The next year, they brought Ingram in on a 3/15 contract.  Ingram performed and with an offense built around Jackson’s running, Edwards was still able to carve out 133/711.

Then the following year, they draft Dobbins and he still puts up 137/718.

Fact of the matter is, the Edwards has dealt with a lot more than a 6th round rookie to stay productive.  This hasn’t been a situation where Gus hasn’t been able to ‘seize’ an obvious opportunity but rather Edwards is a pretty resilient mofo…
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Resilient, yes. Could he carry it all like in his rookie year? He could try, but we haven't seen Baltimore go the route of 1 guy carrying it all. As you have pointed out, Baltimore has always gone looking for better. They seem to roll with the RBBC given all those carries. Gus has had the chance to seize the job and he hasn't been able to hold off the likes of Ingram and Dobbins, you can't really say he didn't have the chance to seize the job. Now Williams enters the picture after ACL surgery and he overtook Hill and has looked explosive doing it.

 
Scooby1974 said:
Resilient, yes. Could he carry it all like in his rookie year? He could try, but we haven't seen Baltimore go the route of 1 guy carrying it all. As you have pointed out, Baltimore has always gone looking for better. They seem to roll with the RBBC given all those carries. Gus has had the chance to seize the job and he hasn't been able to hold off the likes of Ingram and Dobbins, you can't really say he didn't have the chance to seize the job. Now Williams enters the picture after ACL surgery and he overtook Hill and has looked explosive doing it.
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When has he had the chance to seize the job?  When you say 'hold off', I disagree.  One was a $5M/year veteran FA RB signing, the other a 2nd round highly touted rookie RB.  Those guys are simply going to have roster stature based on the financial and draft capital investment made.  And yet despite that, Edwards has maintained a healthy/sizable role.

Am I saying Edwards gets 350 touches?  No...you're right in that respect.  Ravens like multiple RB's/ball carriers to carry the load because they are as run centric as they are.  But I think it's a stretch to say a guy who on his pre-season highlight video has exactly 1 first quarter run on it, is going to supplant a guy with a 5.2 YPC career average whose got three years in the offense.  Especially when that same braintrust gave JK Dobbins 25 carries thru the first 6 weeks of his rookie season in 2020.

 
TheDirtyWord said:
When has he had the chance to seize the job?  When you say 'hold off', I disagree.  One was a $5M/year veteran FA RB signing, the other a 2nd round highly touted rookie RB.  Those guys are simply going to have roster stature based on the financial and draft capital investment made.  And yet despite that, Edwards has maintained a healthy/sizable role.

Am I saying Edwards gets 350 touches?  No...you're right in that respect.  Ravens like multiple RB's/ball carriers to carry the load because they are as run centric as they are.  But I think it's a stretch to say a guy who on his pre-season highlight video has exactly 1 first quarter run on it, is going to supplant a guy with a 5.2 YPC career average whose got three years in the offense.  Especially when that same braintrust gave JK Dobbins 25 carries thru the first 6 weeks of his rookie season in 2020.
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If Gus was the best RB on the field, he would have seized and started over all others RB's. Are you really saying that because somebody gets paid more or is drafted earlier, but isn't as good, that he'll get the playing time by default? That makes no sense to me---Baltimore wants to win games and this is a business. Sure, it looks bad paying a guy a lot of money and having a cheap replacement do better---but that certainly happens quite regularly.

Gus COULD have blown Baltimore brass away with his play and they never would have signed Ingram or drafted Dobbins in the 2nd. He didn't, and they did, because he wasn't THAT GOOD. I'm NOT saying he is garbage by any means! I just don't see him as head and shoulders above anyone despite his 5.2 ypc behind Baltimore's GREAT offensive line. Will he outshine Williams? Maybe. But his track record shows him only playing 2nd fiddle. But this COULD be his chance to start, until he's replaced again.

 
Gus is by far the best RB on their roster now.  PFF had Gus as the 3rd best back last year (by their rankings).  Anybody who understands and watches RB's can see he is a solid RB.  He doesn't have great COD skills, but he is a big guy with good power and shiftiness and has speed as well.  He is one of those guys that does not lose speed in pads, even if the 40 time wasn't good - not sure what it was).  He can catch the ball but clearly has not been used in that role as others were better.  But, do not underestimate his ability, he is solid!  I view him as a Latavius Murray type of runner, but better than him now.

 
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tangfoot said:
He will likely be active due to the nature of this year's practice squad rules.
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I don’t think so. It’s possible but the sense locally is that he is an insurance policy, not a replacement for Gus or even Ty’son.  

 
Liquid Tension said:
Gus is by far the best RB on their roster now.  PFF had Gus as the 3rd best back last year (by their rankings).  Anybody who understands and watches RB's can see he is a solid RB.  He doesn't have great COD skills, but he is a big guy with good power and shiftiness and has speed as well.  He is one of those guys that does not lose speed in pads, even if the 40 time wasn't good - not sure what it was).  He can catch the ball but clearly has not been used in that role as others were better.  But, do not underestimate his ability, he is solid!  I view him as a Latavius Murray type of runner, but better than him now.
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By default, he is indeed the best RB on Baltimore's roster right now. But how much better will remain to be seen. You'd think if he was the 3rd best RB in the league he'd have shaken himself off and easily held off Dobbins and headed into 2021 the starting RB (pre-Dobbins injury). 

Gus has averaged about 136 carries a year, or, 8.5 carries a game at 5.2 ypc. And he has averaged 6 receptions a year.

Dobbins put up 6.0 ypc (almost a yard more per carry) behind the same line, plus he had 18 receptions last year after taking over.

Only time will tell if Gus can perform at a 5.2 ypc average to start off the game if his workload is doubled, as opposed to coming in fresh to spell Dobbins. He'll get his shot, but my money is on that ypc average going down and him being pulled for Williams in the passing game.

 
Scooby1974 said:
If Gus was the best RB on the field, he would have seized and started over all others RB's. Are you really saying that because somebody gets paid more or is drafted earlier, but isn't as good, that he'll get the playing time by default? That makes no sense to me---Baltimore wants to win games and this is a business. Sure, it looks bad paying a guy a lot of money and having a cheap replacement do better---but that certainly happens quite regularly.

Gus COULD have blown Baltimore brass away with his play and they never would have signed Ingram or drafted Dobbins in the 2nd. He didn't, and they did, because he wasn't THAT GOOD. I'm NOT saying he is garbage by any means! I just don't see him as head and shoulders above anyone despite his 5.2 ypc behind Baltimore's GREAT offensive line. Will he outshine Williams? Maybe. But his track record shows him only playing 2nd fiddle. But this COULD be his chance to start, until he's replaced again.
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Are you really saying that there’s no difference in pedigree/ability between Mark Ingram/JK Dobbins and Ty’son Williams?  Williams he of 233 career carries in a college career started in 2015?

I think it’s pretty clear they drafted Dobbins to replace Ingram who was 30 at the time…no?  When they signed Ingram, other than Edwards the cupboard was bare.  Ingram went on to have a 1265/15 season in 15 games that year…yet Edwards as a UDFA carved out a role.  So I think the notion that somehow Gus didn’t take advantage of an opportunity is BS.

But if you think a pre-season of work and 233 career carries at three different programs is as/more impressive than 3 years of 5+ YPC in each NFL season, you do you. 
 

 
Bell was signed before news of Murray getting cut in NO; I wonder if he might be an option here and Bell thrown right back into the FA pool. 

 
TheDirtyWord said:
Are you really saying that there’s no difference in pedigree/ability between Mark Ingram/JK Dobbins and Ty’son Williams?  Williams he of 233 career carries in a college career started in 2015?

I think it’s pretty clear they drafted Dobbins to replace Ingram who was 30 at the time…no?  When they signed Ingram, other than Edwards the cupboard was bare.  Ingram went on to have a 1265/15 season in 15 games that year…yet Edwards as a UDFA carved out a role.  So I think the notion that somehow Gus didn’t take advantage of an opportunity is BS.

But if you think a pre-season of work and 233 career carries at three different programs is as/more impressive than 3 years of 5+ YPC in each NFL season, you do you. 
 
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So we agree that udfa Gus has a similar pedigree to a guy like udfa Williams. And yes, Dobbins replaced Ingram by flying right by Gus. For the 19th time I agree, Gus has produced in the running game (but not the passing game) with 1/3 of the carries and playing fresh without the pressure of starting or having the carry a full load. 

I never said I am more impressed with Williams current body of work, those are your words. I am simply making the point that Gus has opportunity but in no way do I think his is an open and shut case to be the bellcow and start all season.

 
Sam Quentin said:
Why sign LAT when they already have their plodder in Gus?
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Without agreeing to your description of Gus, the signing of Bell seems to imply an appetite for vet RB’s in Baltimore and Murray did have a pretty good year in 2020 (146/656/4   23/176/1  4.6ypc 7.7ypr).
 

Not saying he’d be a guy to target or anything but I’d be more concerned about the impact on Gus and Ty’son with Murray in town than I am with Bell. Murray seems like he might be a better version of what they were looking for when they brought Bell in… and the latter is no lock.

 
Louis Riddick

@LRiddickESPN

What’s happening to the RB room with #Ravens is brutal and makes you sick. Injuries suck. In every way. Opportunity comes for those next in line - the nature of the game. Remember the name Ty’Son Williams. #34. This young man has size, quicks, speed, big time breakout ability.

 
Godsbrother said:
But if he is on the active roster week 1 then his 2021 salary is guaranteed.   

That doesn't seem like a smart move on Baltimore's part unless they are convinced of Bell's abilities and ability to stay healthy the entire season.
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Yes/no.  Teams are allowed to activate a practice squad player and then relegate him back to the practice squad after that week's game. I do not think this will affect his guaranteed salary status.

 
tangfoot said:
Yes/no.  Teams are allowed to activate a practice squad player and then relegate him back to the practice squad after that week's game. I do not think this will affect his guaranteed salary status.
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You may be right

I found this:

"... a new rule allows teams to promote two players from the practice squad per week without the need to create a roster spot—in essence, creating a temporary 55-man roster. Those players are eligible to play in that week’s game, and they revert back to the practice squad at the end of the week without having to pass through waivers.

There is one catch. You can only use this temporary promotion twice on an individual player per season. After that, you’ll have to sign him to the 53-man roster to play them"

However this does not mention anything about changing the salary structure of veteran players which has been that a vested veteran's salary is guaranteed if they are on an NFL active roster on week 1.  LeVeon Bell, having played more than 4 years,  is vested. 

It would seem odd for the NFLPA to allow this benefit to be circumvented through the practice squad but it seems like that may be the case.

 
Ravens signed RB Devonta Freeman to their practice squad.

Normally practice squad additions aren't all that notable. But in this case, with Adam Schefter reporting that the idea is that Freeman will be promoted to the active roster, and with the Ravens running back room in ashes, this qualifies as a fantasy red alert. What it doesn't do is provide a lot of long-term clarity on how a committee would work with Ty'Son Williams and Le'Veon Bell, though Williams' status as the lone back who worked with them all offseason will probably help a bit for his Week 1 odds. Any back the Ravens give carries to is worth serious consideration in all leagues. 

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Sep 9, 2021, 4:59 PM ET
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